At last Wednesday’s meeting of the Trigg County Justice Center Project Development Board, Richard Mitchell of Construction Management Firm Codell Construction delivered a report the structure’s progress.

He said that the project missed a total of 35 days due to inclement weather. “Last month we had more inclement days than clement days.”

Mitchell said that work on the basement’s foundation and exterior walls had reached the 70 percent completion mark, and anticipated under-sewer and under-slab work for the basement would be completed by February 19.

“We’re working on the elevator pits today. We’ve hit rock rather quickly on that part of the project,” said Mitchell. “We’ve all heard the rumors of a river under the courthouse. Since we’re drilling down 50 feet, we’ll find it if it is there. That part of the project should be done by Friday.”

In his report, Mitchell said that the Administrative Office of the Courts changed their plan to place fixed counters in the County Circuit Clerk’s workspace. Now it will purchase furniture for the area, relieving the project’s budget of $5,216. He said that the AOC would purchase the furniture from its budget.

Architect Paul Cable of the Center’s designing firm CMW called progress “good, considering the weather.” He added that the project was missing a “piece of steel” needed for construction. “I don’t know the price, but it shouldn’t be much.”

Discussion at the meeting again turned to bricks and masonry as Cable presented a mockup of the building’s exterior wall. “We can have a different border if needed. If the board likes it, then good. If you hate it, then we can push it over the edge of the hill. The main thing is to make sure we are on the same track in the design process.”

Mitchell said that original plans to use a limestone trim on the wall were removed in the AOC’s value-engineering process, though with discretionary funds, could be returned as an alternate. Current plans call for a red brick wall, with a trim layer composed of brown bricks.

Circuit Judge C.A. “Woody” Woodall III said that he would like to explore returning to the light colored limestone bands on the structure.